When Kara told me (at your wedding) that you had a charity called The Butterfly Project, I knew immediately that you would one day be holding this small catalog in your hands….even if it is digitally. Then we met at Sherry’s a few months ago and I’ve been thinking about you and the Butterfly project since then. I remember having this same flash of inspiration (I had at your wedding) and knew at that moment we could do something together. I was not sure what that might ultimately be, but I had a very clear and synchronous feeling that this would come to pass…what you have here is pretty much what I envisioned at both those two instances. I actually knew this before I knew anything about your charity because the butterfly, transformation, freedom and remembrance (particularly for the Jewish people) are indelibly intertwined into my work. It’s kind of crazy, but it’s actually true. So without further ramblings, I have finally gotten around to that small jolt of inspiration when I told you I think I have an interesting idea for your Butterfly Project.
When I had originally met you and heard about the Butterfly project, the inspiration I had, did not really have anything to do with the work I generally do on a daily basis, but on a particular body of work I did between 2006 and 2023. Yes, I worked on this body of work for 17 years, and have never shown it. I have never shown it. But, it’s not the body of work I am speaking about, rather it is a specific painting in this oeuvre that is the inspiration for your butterfly project. This painting is the masterpiece of my life. And it sits in my warehouse, covered up, hidden from the world…and now I get to tell you about it and maybe its energy, love and meaning can be of service to the very important work you do.
But firstly, just a quick precursor. I have been painting with all forms of geometry since I left the womb. For some reason, I have been innately drawn to color, movement, light and energy. I have no idea why or what drew me to my style of art. It is not important to me. But after a lifetime of creating a unique and original visual language, I am still constantly exploring new and original ways to expand my visual vocabulary. Very importantly though, there is a childlike joy to my work. Children love it and have always gravitated to it like butterflies to flowers.
Well…enough talking about my work. Let’s instead talk about how the particular piece I speak of, seems to be in some way symbiotic with the amazing things you are doing with the Butterfly project…..
In 2012-13, over the course of two years, I created a large wall sized altar. The inspiration for this piece came from my pride in my jewish heritage and the frustrations of continued anti- semitism. My mother had sent me an email at the time that said that the jewish people comprised only .02% of the population of the world and this got me thinking…..On the next page of this catalog, I give the short story of this piece and the altar itself. I’ll then lay out some ideas in the subsequent pages with more examples of other works that inspired this piece. I’ll also included a small mockup and a few ideas of how we might be able to possibly incorporate it into the Butterfly project.
May I say in parting here. I have no expectations. This is just an idea from the small bit of inspiration your butterfly project gave me while we were recently hanging out. If it inspires you to other ideas or none at all, its all good. Life is beautiful and just like the paperclip project….I do think there might be something here. Not sure what it is, but, who knows….
.02 PERCENT
The Jewish people make up just .02% of the Eart h’s population. Despite this incredibly small number, I start ed wondering about their historical contributions to society and whether there was a way to quantify it. I then start ed thinki ng how they have been persecuted since time immemorial and how they have always surv ived (and in many ways, thrived). These thoughts became the genesis for this piece.
I start ed think ing about the Nobel prizes. Chemistr y, Medicine, Peace, Literature, Physics... and what gifts these prizes are to manki nd. I then start ed to wonder how many of the recipients (historically) might be Jewish. When I did the research, I found that the number of Jewish Nobel laureates was staggering and quantify the Jewish people's contributions to the world.
The entire painting was painted in pearlescent paints. This paint, coupled with the gold frame, give it a more spiritual feel. It looks like stained glass in a temple is a metaphor for the tall chimneys of the concentration camps in the holocaust. ring are small geometric chips. These are the ashes of the Jewish vict ims rising from the chimneys. As the chips rise into the night sky, they become lighter in
of the Jewish people… Persevering and succeeding, no matter what life throws at them… throughout history.
Behind all of this, you can see words. These words are every name of every Jewish Nobel laureate since the Nobel prize began in the late nineteenth century. They are intentionally faint, but quite visible as they are painted against a black pearlescent night sky. At the top of the painting are the words point-zero-two- percent and at the bottom, the Nobel prizes.
for stature.
ashes out of the chimneys to emerge as great white spirits into the ether…or something like this….
Please don’t take this image as literal. It is a ver y crude and simple example of an idea. You could do a print (not necessarily of this image) but another much more
I do think this might look better in a single window (similar to the painting on the sophisticated gold leafed frame. The frame just gave this particular body of work gravitas and made the work seem import ant to complete the story.
You can see the entire body of work at this link: The Renaissance Series
I created this commission for some collectors back in 1991. At the time, I envisioned geometric chips instead.
So, thats it Chery l. I’m not s ure if t his is a good i dea o r children, holocaust, transformation, r emembrance, jewish....that’s it. I gotta go. Here are a few links should you want more information on my work.
Website: Insta gram:
www.toddgray.com
@toddgray_studios
Should you want to see the balance of my R enaissance series, check out this link:
The Renaissance Series
